The present invention relates to protectors with sensors. When objects including fingers are disposed between openings of automobiles and panels which move between at least two positions to open and close the openings of automobiles, the sensors of the protectors output corresponding signals for detecting the objects. The panels include: doors such as sliding doors on wagons, station wagons or the like sliding frontward and rearward of the automobile bodies and back doors; and sun roofs.
A protector 10, 20 with a sensor is installed on an automobile including a wagon shown in FIG. 6 of which a sliding door 1 (or a back door) moves between at least two positions to open and close an opening of an automobile body or on an automobile shown in FIG. 7 of which sun roof 2 opens or closes the opening of the automobile body.
For example, the protector 10 with the sensor, extending in an upper and lower direction as shown in FIG. 8, is installed on a front end surface of the sliding door 1. The protector 10 with the sensor extends frontward of the automobile body from the front end surface of the sliding door 1.
As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the protector 10 with the sensor, installed on the front end surface of the sliding door 1 includes: an installation base member 11 having a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall 11a, an outer-cabin side wall 11b and a connecting wall 11c; and a hollow part 12 integrally molded with the installation base member 11. The hollow part 12 includes a sensor (pressure sensitive sensor) 80 which outputs a corresponding electric signal upon detecting the object such as a part of human bodies (fingers, hands or legs) between the sliding door 1 and a body side opening (may also be front door or side door) (see, for example, Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-44590).
In a lower part of the protector 10 with the sensor, a channel part 13 having a substantially C-shaped cross section is integrally molded with the inner-cabin side wall 11a side of the installation base member 11 for holding wire harness 90 joined with the pressure sensitive sensor 80. The installation base member 11 has a plurality of holding lips 14 formed inside and a core 15 having a substantially U-shaped cross section embedded therein for increasing rigidity. In addition, a decorative lip 16 is provided on the outer-cabin side wall 11b of the installation base member 11.
The sensor (pressure sensitive sensor) 80 has two core wires (electrode wires) 31, 32 extending in an upper and lower direction (longitudinal direction) embedded in rubber like elastic bodies (conductive parts) 34, 35 having conductivity with a space 33 therebetween, which are fixed in the hollow part 12. As the object is disposed between the sliding door 1 and the body side opening when the sliding door 1 is moved towards a closed position, the object makes contact with a part of the hollow part 12, and then the rubber like elastic bodies 34, 35 contact with each other and the two core wires 31, 32 short. Resultant change in electric signal is transmitted to a control unit 40 joined with leads 36, 36 which are connected with the two core wires 31, 32 in a lower side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, and as a result, the objects are detected. The leads 36, 36 covered with insulator are tied by the wire harness 90. Top ends of the leads 36, 36, bared from covered parts 37, 37 are naked wires.
Parts of an inner peripheral surface of the hollow part 12, on which the two rubber like elastic bodies (conductive parts) 34, 35 having conductivity are embedded, are thick in thickness and strong in strength. But other parts of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow part 12 without the conductive parts 34, 35, in other words, the parts of the inner surface of an outer coat of the hollow part 12 in cross section, on which both ends 33a, 33b of a space 33 are continuously provided, are thin in thickness and weak in strength. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11, as convex substances 400, automobile keys for example, strongly abut the other parts which are weak in strength while getting on or off the automobiles, the other parts may be damaged or cracked.
The space 33 of FIG. 11 substantially has an oblong shaped (rectangular shaped) cross section. But, depending on shapes or positions of the rubber like elastic bodies 34, 35, the parts of the inner surface of the outer coat of the hollow part 12, on which the both ends 33a, 33b of the space 33 are continuously provided, may be on a side of the installation base member 11 relative to the shape of the hollow part 12 in cross section. In this structure, the parts of the inner surface of the outer coat of the hollow part 12, on which the both ends 33a, 33b of the space 33 are continuously provided, are on positions especially easy to catch the convex substances 400. The structure increases a risk of damages or cracks on the parts.
Once the hollow part 12 cracks, rainwater or water for car washing enters and sensor function is lost. As a result, the structure may cause malfunction including improper opening or closing of the sliding door 1 or the sun roof 2.
It is to be noted that Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-44590 aims at fully achieving restoring force of the hollow part after being pressed by: integrally forming a hollow part and a holding part joined to the hollow part through a connection part by thermoplastic elastomer; and forming an inner wall layer on an upper part of an inner surface of the hollow part and a swelled part on a lower part of the inner surface by mixed synthetic resin prepared by mixing carbon by 10% by weight or more with thermoplastic elastomer. But Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-44590 does not prevent the damages or cracks on the thin parts of the hollow part when the convex substances 400, automobile keys for example, abut the thin parts, or does not disclose a conception for solving above-mentioned problems.
In addition, since the hollow part and the holding part are connected by the singular connection part, slipping-off of the hollow part may hamper a stable sensor function.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide the protectors with sensors capable of preventing the damages caused by the objects which abut the hollow parts.